In Memoriam: Green Candidate ‘Grandpa Munster’ Al Lewis

'Grandpa Munster' Al Lewis Dies

by LARRY McSHANE, Associated Press Writer

Al Lewis, the cigar-chomping patriarch of "The Munsters" whose work as a basketball scout, restaurateur and political candidate never eclipsed his role as Grandpa from the television sitcom, died after years of failing health. He [claimed he] was 95.

Lewis, with his wife at his bedside, passed away Friday night, said Bernard White, program director at WBAI-FM, where the actor hosted a weekly radio program. White made the announcement on the air during the Saturday slot where Lewis usually appeared.

"To say that we will miss his generous, cantankerous, engaging spirit is a profound understatement," White said.

Lewis, sporting a somewhat cheesy Dracula outfit, became a pop culture icon playing the irascible father-in-law to Fred Gwynne's ever-bumbling Herman Munster on the 1964-66 television show. He was also one of the stars of another classic TV comedy, playing Officer Leo Schnauzer on "Car 54, Where Are You?"

But Lewis' life off the small screen ranged far beyond his acting antics. A former ballplayer at Thomas Jefferson High School, he achieved notoriety as a basketball talent scout familiar to coaching greats like Jerry Tarkanian and Red Auerbach.

He operated a successful Greenwich Village restaurant, Grandpa's, where he was a regular presence chatting with customers, posing for pictures, signing autographs.

Just two years short of his 90th birthday, a ponytailed Lewis ran as the Green Party candidate against incumbent Gov. George Pataki. Lewis campaigned against draconian drug laws and the death penalty, while going to court in a losing battle to have his name appear on the ballot as "Grandpa Al Lewis."

He didn't defeat Pataki, but managed to collect more 52,000 votes. [Which gave the Green Party official ballot line status for four years. - ed note]

Lewis was born Albert Meister in upstate New York before his family moved to Brooklyn, where the 6-foot-1 teen began a lifelong love affair with basketball. He later became a vaudeville and circus performer, but his career didn't take off until television did the same.

Lewis, as Officer Schnauzer, played opposite Gwynne's Officer Francis Muldoon in "Car 54, Where Are You?" a comedy about a Bronx police precinct that aired from 1961-63. One year later, the duo appeared together in "The Munsters," taking up residence at the fictional 1313 Mockingbird Lane.

The series, about a family of clueless creatures plunked down in middle America, was a success and ran through 1966. It forever locked Lewis in as the memorably twisted character; decades later, strangers would greet him on the street with shouts of "Grandpa!"

Unlike some television stars, Lewis never complained about getting typecast and made appearances in character for decades.

"Why would I mind?" he asked in a 1997 interview. "It pays my mortgage."

Lewis rarely slowed down, opening his restaurant and hosting his WBAI radio program. At one point during the '90s, he was a frequent guest on the Howard Stern radio show, once sending the shock jock diving for the delay button by leading an undeniably obscene chant against the Federal Communications Commission.

He also popped up in a number of movies, including the acclaimed "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" and "Married to the Mob." Lewis reprised his role of Schnauzer in the movie remake of "Car 54," and appeared as a guest star on television shows such as "Taxi," "Green Acres" and "Lost in Space."

But in 2003, Lewis was hospitalized for an angioplasty. Complications during surgery led to an emergency bypass and the amputation of his right leg below the knee and all the toes on his left foot. Lewis spent the next month in a coma.

A year later, he was back offering his recollections of a seminal punk band on the DVD "Ramones Raw."

He is survived by his wife, Karen Ingenthron-Lewis, three sons and four grandchildren.

ALBANY -- Al Lewis, who played the character of Grandpa on "The Munsters" and helped secure the Green Party on the state ballot, died Friday.Lewis' age was reported to be 95, but his son Ted Lewis claimed his father was 82.

Lewis and his 1998 running mate, Alice Green of Albany, ran against Gov. George Pataki and Mary O. Donohue in a race that produced 52,533 votes for the huge underdogs.

But that was enough to give the Green Party a line on future state ballots, and a voice in every election season.

Lewis had health problems for some time, according to Green, who said he was a remarkable crusader for social change, and a pleasure to travel with during their impossible dream season when they toured throughout the state.

Green, executive director of the Center For Law and Justice in Albany, said Lewis reached out to people from Buffalo to Harlem.

"Everybody recognized him. Everywhere we would go people would greet him as Grandpa Al," she said. "It was a great experience. I'll always remember it. Every now and then when I see the old show 'The Munsters,' I say: 'Wow, this guy was so much more.' I'm really going to miss the guy."

The colorful Lewis worked as a basketball scout, restaurateur, talk-show host and actor, making his first big splash in the 1960s TV comedy series "Car 54, Where Are You?"

He played Officer Leo Schnauzer, one of the cops in the Bronx precinct featuring Officer Francis Muldoon, played by Fred Gwynne, who later was cast as Herman Munster on "The Munsters" alongside Lewis.

Lewis, with his wife at his bedside, died Friday night, according to the Associated Press, quoting Bernard White, program director at WBAI-FM, where the actor held a weekly radio program. White made the announcement on the air during the Saturday slot in which Lewis usually appeared.

"To say that we will miss his generous, cantankerous, engaging spirit is a profound understatement," White said.

Lewis was born in Wolcott, Wayne County, a North Country hamlet, and moved to Brooklyn as a boy.

He was comfortable in front of reporters, whom he cursed at and argued with during news conferences at the Capitol.

He once called the governor "Potato Head Pataki," and proposed forcing CEOs to eat a plate of the toxic waste their companies produce. His antics, including walking around with a big cigar in his mouth, ran counter to his serious commitment to improving the lives of all New Yorkers, Green said.

"He was definitely sincere about all of the social justice issues he talked about; his whole life he in some way tried to work for change," she said. "His message was loud and clear. It was something he always did all his life. His mom was part of the labor movement."

Green said Lewis frequently called her to soothe her and make sure she was keeping up during the stress of the campaign.

"We developed this friendship," she said. The car rides to campaign stops, usually with Charles Touhey, Green's husband, at the wheel, were fun as Lewis gave his worldview.

"He's a great philosopher. He would give you his take on everything," Green said.

Sporting a sparse ponytail, Lewis campaigned against the Rockefeller Drug Laws, which eventually were amended, and the death penalty law, which eventually was ruled unconstitutional, while going to court in a losing battle to have his name appear on the ballot as "Grandpa Al Lewis."

"We knew what we wanted to do -- to raise issues, and make sure we got the party on the ballot as an official party. So when the vote came in, hey, we won," Green said.

He would not run unless Green ran, said Mark Dunlea of Poestenkill, a former state chairman of the Green Party, who was Lewis' campaign manager.

"A lot of the over-the-top theatrics was really an act. In reality, he was an activist who was a celebrity," Dunlea said. "I think he's one who really gave attention and momentum to the effort to repeal the Rockefeller Drug Laws."

He said Lewis demonstrated in picket lines at least once a week for years along with the parents of people incarcerated for lengthy sentences after conviction of possession of small quantities of illegal drugs.

Lewis was born Alexander Meister. He became a vaudeville and circus performer, but his career didn't take off until television did the same.

A former member of the Thomas Jefferson High School hoop team, he achieved notoriety as a basketball talent scout familiar to coaching greats such as Jerry Tarkanian and Red Auerbach.

He operated a successful Greenwich Village restaurant, Grampa's, where he was a regular presence -- chatting with customers, posing for pictures and signing autographs.

Associated Press contributed to this article.

The "Other" Famous Green Candidate.

by Craig Seeman, former Chair, Green Party of New York State

There's one name that comes to many people's minds when they think of Celebrity Green candidates. This is about the "other" famous Green Candidate.

In 1998 I asked Activist / Actor Al Lewis to run as the Green Party Candidate for Governor of New York. To many he was known as Grandpa Munster of the "Munsters" and Officer Scnauzer of "Car 54 Where Are You?" hit comedy series of the early and mid 1960s. Some of us also knew him as an activist show host on Pacifica's WBAI in NYC. Few knew that he also had a doctorate in Child Psychology from Columbia University

He was a life long activist, a profession that stretched far beyond hi acting career. From Sacco & Venzetti through the Black Panthers to fighting to overturn the Rockefeller Drug laws, Al was a dedicated activist.

It seems many Greens as well as the public, knew little of his history as an activist. Some Greens ridiculed us for asking him to run. His political credentials dwarf Arnold Schwarzenegger.

We shot and edited this 35 minute video in May 1998. It includes excerpts from his radio show, examples of his politics, exhortations from listeners to run. We interviewed Al and Karen, his activist wife, on in his personal activist history, positions on current issues in NY State, His familial background and how he learned the importance of activism and political awareness from his mother. Far too many Greens had stereotyped him as a light comedic actor. It was important for us to inform Greens about Al's formidable history.

I'm posting this link to the above video. It's broken into four parts. Please step away from your TV sets for 35 minutes and learn why Al Lewis, the "other" famous Green candidate, was so important to us in NY. The video is poorly shot on consumer equipment with mismatched cameras and you may need to turn up the audio a bit to hear it clearly but I'm sure you'll both appreciate and actually enjoy the message. Please do forward the link to other lists. It provides insight into Al Lewis, activist and Green, never seen on mainstream TV.

The files are MPEG4 and run at about 500mbps. You may need Quicktime for Mac http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/mac.html Quicktime for Windows http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.htmlOr the open source VLC Media Player for Unix, Windows, Mac to play the video. http://www.videolan.org/vlc/